Hurtigruten Adds New Sámi Menu Fleetwide, Led By Máret Buljo

Published on Nov 11, 2025, 6:41 pm CST

5 min read

Hurtigruten has introduced a new onboard menu created by Sámi culinary ambassador Máret Rávdná Buljo, bringing traditional ingredients and techniques from Arctic Europe to passengers sailing the Norwegian coast. The dishes anchor into the line's Norway's Coastal Kitchen program, which emphasizes fresh products from more than 70 local producers, and they are now available across the fleet with the most complete experience at the Árran restaurant on select ships. The move makes Sámi flavors part of the everyday dining conversation at sea, not a one off tasting.

Five new dishes from Buljo are now served at Árran on Signature Voyages aboard MS Trollfjord and MS Finnmarken. Highlights include salmon with ember bread, cloudberries, and truffle seaweed, a broth enriched with dried reindeer meat, a reindeer liver burger, a classic roast reindeer plate, lingonberry porridge with whipped cream and toasted barley, and warm coffee cheese paired with redcurrant sorbet and caramel. Hurtigruten confirms the dishes will also reach MS Midnatsol when the ship is upgraded for the Signature program and redeployed to the Svalbard Line in 2026, widening access to the new menu as the premium coastal product expands.

On the Original Coastal Express ships, guests will encounter Buljo's recipes in the main restaurant Torget and the fine dining venue Kysten, with two of her signature plates planned for Brygga Bistro later this year. That distribution is important for travelers choosing between Signature Voyages, which concentrate curated dining concepts like Árran and Røst, and the Original Coastal Express sailings, which maintain a classic schedule with refreshed menus. Hurtigruten's dining pages outline where each venue fits within the broader Coastal Kitchen, so it is worth confirming ship and route before booking if the menu is a primary draw.

Buljo frames the project as both culinary and cultural. She notes that Sámi cuisine has not always been widely acknowledged in Norway, and that placing it on a mainstream cruise menu helps normalize indigenous foodways for international visitors. Her nomination for the 2025 Matprisen food award underscores how Sámi culinary voices are gaining visibility within Norway's food community. Hurtigruten's culinary director, Øistein Nilsen, positions the ambassador role as a bridge to Sámi producers, artisans, and food brokers, with the intent to weave their knowledge and values into the line's sourcing and storytelling.

Hurtigruten Norway's Coastal Kitchen

Norway's Coastal Kitchen has been the company's long running promise to source locally, seasonally, and sustainably. The program features ingredients collected along the route, from Arctic seafood and coastal farm produce to foraged seaweed and berries. Recent coverage of Hurtigruten's culinary itineraries and producer partnerships illustrates how that model works in practice, including collaborations with names like Lofoten Seaweed and chefs who specialize in hyper local menus. The Sámi menu slots into this pattern rather than sitting apart from it.

Latest developments

MS Finnmarken recently returned to its historic name after sailing as Otto Sverdrup, aligning ship identity with the Signature Voyage positioning that now houses Árran. With Midnatsol slated to join the Signature fleet in 2026, travelers will see the Sámi dishes positioned on both the North Cape Line and the Svalbard Line, depending on season and ship assignment. Check individual voyage listings to verify restaurant availability on your departure.

Analysis

For food motivated travelers, the most reliable access point today is a Signature Voyage on MS Trollfjord or MS Finnmarken, where Árran concentrates the new recipes in a setting designed around Sámi inspiration. Original Coastal Express ships broaden reach by integrating Buljo's dishes into Torget and Kysten, which is convenient for travelers who prefer the classic network and timetable. Either way, the addition goes beyond novelty. Reindeer, Arctic char and salmon, cloudberries, and seaweed are not museum pieces, they are living foods from living producers, and the menus respect that lineage with straightforward technique and clean plating.

Background, Sámi cuisine draws on reindeer herding, river and coastal fishing, and seasonal foraging across northern Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Russia's Kola Peninsula. Preservation through drying, smoking, and fermenting evolved to match climate and mobility, while berries and dairy round out the pantry. Putting those elements beside modern kitchen tools gives chefs a clear brief, tell a story with minimal transformation, and keep the ingredient at the center. Buljo's menu follows that brief closely, and the Coastal Kitchen supply network makes it credible at scale.

For planning, verify your ship's restaurant lineup when you book, then reserve dining times early if your sailing offers pre booking. If you prefer to sample widest variety in a single trip, pick a Signature Voyage now, then consider a follow up on Midnatsol after the 2026 upgrade, which will bring the Svalbard Line under the same dining umbrella. Travelers with dietary preferences will find vegetarian options within the Árran lineup, but should still notify the line and confirm plates on embarkation day.

Final thoughts

Hurtigruten's adoption of a Sámi menu by Máret Rávdná Buljo is a practical step toward making indigenous foodways visible to an international audience. It is also a straightforward value add for anyone who chooses voyages for what is on the plate as much as what is out the window. If the flavors resonate, the expansion to additional ships through 2026 will make it easier to find them again.

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